Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Bybee's Library

I pinch-hit for one of the teachers today who had to take that same visa run to Japan that I took last week. Happily, her class was on the 5th floor of the library. Just one floor down were the 800 and 900 books. I could barely keep the whiteboard marker between my trembling fingers. When class was over, there was a mad dash to the staircase. I won.

Combing through the stacks was fun, a veritable treasure hunt. The English titles are mixed in with the Korean titles, so each shelf had to be scanned with the extra-loving care that I've bottled up these past four years while living with a library whose Dewey Decimal system stops at 799. Since I don't have my faculty ID card yet, I didn't check anything out, but I found a few tantalizing possibilities:

1. A critical study of the "Little House" books.
2. Howard's End - E. M. Forster
3. The Forsythe Saga - John(?) Galsworthy
4. Dusty Answer - Rosamond Lehmann (I'd never heard of this 1927 novel before.)
5. A biography of Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee
6. A biography of Zola
7. A buttload of books about the American Civil War
8. A couple of novels by Pearl S. Buck
9. A collection of Robert Benchley's humorous essays

There's more, but I wasn't taking notes. I'm still in shock: Finally, finally, finally finally, FINALLY I've got a library again. I'm looking forward to doing my first "Library Loot" post soon!!!

13 comments:

Care said...

==>"so each shelf had to be scanned with the extra-loving care that I've bottled up"

What a great turn of phrase! too cute. Happy soon-to-be-Looting!

Anonymous said...

I can't imagine not having access to the library. So happy you are able to go again.

Anonymous said...

This is very exciting. It must be heaven living that close to a library again. The only time I use the library in Stratford is for the theatre room they have!

Jeane said...

Oh, how nice to have a library again! I would find it so frustrating to scan the shelves and still be unable to check them out yet! Do share your library loot soon.

jenclair said...

Ha! I can just see you in your mad rush as the class ended!

Susan said...

hurray for new books to read! hurrah for new English books to read!
Hurray that you are working! Hurray to your bookshelves! Hurray for library loot from Susan in Korea!!! lol can you tell that I'm happy over in Ottawa for you?? I know what it's like to be in a foreign country with no English books to read.

Kathy said...

I hope the faculty id doesn't take too long!

Bybee said...

Care,
Bybee's my name, looting's my game.

Amy,
There was definitely a library-shaped hole in my life.

Aaron,
I'd love to see the library in your hometown...haven't yet ruled out a visit!

Jeane,
I'm going to do a big recon of nonfiction as well, so stay tuned.

Jenclair,
Re winning my mad dash: The girl students were eons younger, but wearing high heels. I was in Rykas, and my incentive was at a boil.

Book-Twin,
I knew you'd be pleased!

Katya,
I'm hoping to get the faculty ID next week.

Tara said...

A critical study of the 'Little House' books?? Do you happen to remember the title of that one??

herschelian said...

You've selected some wonderful reading there. 'Dusty Answer' is one of my favourite books, ever since I read it in my teens. And as for The Forsythe Saga, well you'll be sucked in and never be the same again, they will become a family you know as intimately a you know your own. BTW The Forsythe Saga has been dramatised several times by the BBC, both for TV and for radio - all the productions have been excellent.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I live in a library. Nanny-nanny-boo-boo!

Bybee said...

Tara,
I'll try to find that title for you.

Herschelian,
I was pleased to discover Dusty Answer. Love that title! I bought The Forsythe Saga when I was in middle school, but it was too difficult and I don't know what became of it.

Chartroose,
I'm trying to live in a library, too!

Anonymous said...

How fun to see your excitement over a library. A sign of a true reader!